The impudent little fool didn't realize
what a big matter she was trifling with."
"Grandfather," protested Harlan, manfully, "that's no way to speak of a
young lady. You ask me how I stand? I stand this way--I'll not have the
child mentioned in any such manner--not in my hearing; and that's with
all respect to you, sir."
"Young lady--child? Well, which is she?"
"I don't know," confessed Harlan, ingenuously. "And it doesn't make
much difference."
"Sort of ashamed of me, aren't you?" inquired his grandfather. "A man
that you've seen all the politicians catering to the last day or so, and
small enough to bandy insults with a snippet of a girl! Well, bub,
there's a lot of childishness in human nature. It breaks out once in a
while. Cuss a tack, and grin and bear an amputation! We'll let the girl
alone. I don't seem to get in right when she is mentioned. But I wanted
to have you tell me that you don't intend to marry Dennis Kavanagh's
daughter. You can't afford to do that, boy! Not with your prospects. And
now I'm not saying anything against the girl.
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